Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-02-24

Book Island. About four O'CLOCK on.
that day, the vessel reeled from sud
den shock, which at first suggested the
possibility of having struck some
hidden reef. The weather was SO
fine that the Volunteer was well
nigh becalmed, and fortunately
captain and crew had plenty
of leisure and opportunity to take
things calmly in face of the mysterious
danger which threatened them. A
glance over the side of the vessel
sufficed to reveal the cause OF the
shock. A swordfish of large size was
seen in the act of charging the ship
once again. 1t retreated. and then
rushing through the water renewed IT'S
assault with great vigor. A boat was
quickly manned, and harpooner duly
dispatched the assailant, which was
found to weigh three hundred pounds.
In due time the Volunteer was docked
at Gloucester, when an inspection was
made of the vessels keel. 1t was then
found that about six feet from
the vessels stem. near the top
of the keel, the sword had
entered the wood, and had actually
broken four times as the assault of the
fish was renewed. Four pieces of the
weapon were found embedded in the
keel The fish had thus used its dam
aged sword again and again in the
course of its attack, and, oblivious OF
hurt and pain, had sacrificed itself in
the pursuit of an utterly njustitable
rage.
Tales of it's combats with whales and
porpoises figure ic natural history.
The swordfish charges the great sea
mammals and spears them with as
deadly thrust as ever harpooner gave
The great narwhal enjoys the repu-
tation of possessing the longest tooth in
the world, since this organ grows to
form twisted ivory pole. which may
occasionally attain a length of nine or
ten feet. Thus armed the animal
would seem to present a much more
formidable front than the sword-fish
itself. But by all accounts, the sea-
unicorn is relatively quiet and peacea-
BILE creature. by no means given
to attacking any thing or any
couyS SAW sbo D.1A-
win tells us, to engage in occasional
combats with its own rivals and with
its own kith and kin. AS far as our in
formation extends. we fail to discover
any instance of narwhal using his
long tooth to probe the timbers of
ship. In olden times, the tooth was
much valued as a remedy against pois-
on; virtue, by the way. which the
horn of the mythical land-uncorn was
likewise believed to possess.
Baffin, of Batfin's Bay fame, wrote of
this animal, that sit being Il great fish,
having long horn or bone growing
forth of its forehead or nostril. such as
Sir Martin Frobisher in his second voy-
age found one, in diverse places we saw
them, which if the horne be of any good
value, no doubt that many of them may
be killed." In Hakluyt's Travels
Frobisher himself describing the mar
whal. speaks of it as having ..in his
nose a horne streight and torquet,
of length two yards lacking
two ynches." He then proceeds to
test his presumably medicinal powers.
Being broken in the top, here we
might perceive it hollow, into which
some of our sailors putting spiders.
they presently died" Wisely, per-
haps, for the credit of his own narra-
tive, Sir Martin adds that he ''saw not
the tarill hereof, but it was reported
unto me of truth; by the virtue
whereof we supposed if to be the sea
unicorna.
This was rather a curious fashion of
Judging the character of an animal by
the effects of his horns upon innocent
spiders, and the tale smacks somewhat
of the CLANS Magnus type after all.
The sword-fish and the narwhal, how
ever, are well known to modern
biologists, and the former must be
added to the list of occasional perils
which threaten the welfare of those
who travel by sea.-London Daily
NeaUs.